The present invention relates to personal safety equipment and in a preferred application for a preferred embodiment, to a safety line system that may be conveniently secured to and removed from a concrete beam having reinforcing bars which project outward from the beam.
Various occupations and/or endeavors place people in precarious positions at relatively dangerous heights. As a result, many types of safety apparatus have been developed to reduce the likelihood of a fall and/or injuries associated with a fall. Much of the existing equipment is designed for a particular application and thus, is not necessarily well suited for use in more than one type of environment. With respect to the present invention, it was determined that a need existed for a safety device that could be readily attached to and detached from concrete beams of the type used in large public works projects and the like. One object of the invention was to design a system that could be secured relative to various reinforcement bar configurations on different types of concrete beams, without altering the beams or imposing any requirements on the manufacture of the beams. Another object of the invention was to design such a system with a horizontal safety line that would extend substantially the entire length of the beam and/or selectively pivot to alternative positions relative to the beam.
One aspect of the present invention involves the anchoring of a personnel safety system to a concrete beam of the type having a top surface and upwardly protruding reinforcement bars. The system includes a base plate having at least one slot which extends parallel to the mounting surface on the beam. Left and right hook members are slidably mounted within respective portions of the at least one slot and preferably open toward one another. Once the hook members are maneuvered into engagement with respective reinforcement bars, bolts are inserted through the base plate and threaded into respective hook members to secure the latter in place relative to the former. Each bar is clamped between a respective hook member and axially displaced bearing surfaces that face toward the respective hook member. An advantage of this system is that it accommodates beams having different reinforcement bar arrangements and thus, does not require alteration of the beams themselves.
Another aspect of the present invention involves the pivoting of a safety line relative to its support structure. Opposite ends of the safety line are anchored to opposite ends of a concrete beam or other support structure. Stanchion assemblies are positioned at intermediate positions along the safety line and secured to the beam. Each stanchion assembly includes a beam engaging base, and a post which is selectively pivotal relative to the base. The posts pivot about a common pivot axis which aligns with the anchored ends of the safety line. Additional supports are also secured between respective end stanchions and respective end anchors for the safety line. Each stanchion assembly also includes a latch which selectively releases the post for pivoting to alternative positions relative to the base. An advantage of this system is that the safety line may be moved to different positions depending upon circumstances. For example, it may be desirable to pivot the posts to parallel horizontal orientations for transportation purposes.
On a preferred embodiment, the foregoing features are incorporated into a horizontal safety line system which may be secured to a beam before it is loaded onto a truck for delivery to a job site. To the extent that people are required to stand on and/or walk along the beam (during loading, unloading, and/or installation of the beam), the system provides a suitable, fall-arrest safety line. Additional features and/or advantages may become more apparent from the more detailed description which follows.